Big upfront fees are out. Milestones are in. Partnerships will stay hot. The IPO window will stay open, despite a lackluster record in 2010. And investor confidence will grow, helping public biotech companies outperform the general market.
Those are some of the broad-stroke predictions being made by the self-styled biotech 'guru' Steven Burrill, who regularly commands a big audience for his prognostications. And he's ready to call the protracted Sanofi-Genzyme drama near a done deal.
"The predicted surge in big Pharma acquisitions of biotech companies did not happen in 2010. It will in 2011," predicts Burrill. "Sanofi will finally seal the deal and acquire Genzyme and this will usher in several other marquee acquisitions of blue chip biotech companies."
- here's the release for Burrill's look at 2011